UK Nonprofit Program to Compete as Finalist in Higher Ed Challenge

LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 9, 2015) — The University of Kentucky Social Enterprise and Innovation/Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) certificate program will represent UK as a finalist next Wednesday at the Service Year + Higher Education Challenge in Washington, D.C. The CNP is a co-curricular, professional certificate program that helps equip students with the professional skills, networking, and internship experiences necessary to enter into and succeed in the nonprofit sector.

There were more than 30 applicants to the challenge from across the country. The top three finalists in each category (public universities, private universities and community colleges) will pitch their service opportunity at the Aspen Institute for a chance to win up to $40,000.  As a campus organization committed to social innovation, this challenge was a great opportunity for CNP to meet the conference’s call for a year-long, credit bearing internship program, as well as fulfill the needs of local nonprofit organizations in Kentucky.

CNP’s submission proposes the creation of the Kentucky Scholar Intern (KSI) program. The KSI program would provide opportunities for exceptional undergraduate student leaders to work with nonprofits, as well as state and local agencies, in Kentucky’s most under-resourced communities.  This would provide a unique experiential learning opportunity for students, while augmenting the capacity of local agencies to make an impact in their communities.  

If awarded the grant, KSI interns will be juniors or seniors selected through a competitive application process. KSI interns will learn to see an idea through from conception to execution, will gain an understanding of the relationships between local government, nonprofits, and the communities in which they work, and will examine challenges facing local organizations to implement change.

CNP Director Todd Stoltzfus and CNP student Jacob Ewing will represent UK at the Service Year Challenge. The competition will be similar to reality TV’s "Shark Tank" with a panel of distinguished judges from higher education, national service programs, and foundations, for a chance to win a grant to provide initial seed funding for the program.

The Service Year + Higher Education Challenge is sponsored by The Franklin Project (Aspen Institute), the National Conference on Citizenship, the Corporation for National and Community Service, and the Lumina Foundation. The challenge was designed to encourage higher education institutions to create new and innovative year-long service opportunities, which students can complete for academic credit.

For students interested in the CNP program, applications to enroll for Fall 2015 are being accepted until April 30. Students can find more information about the program on the website: http://www.uky.edu/UGE/CNP.

MEDIA CONTACT: Jenny Wells, 859-257-5343; jenny.wells@uky.edu